Chamber of Commerce backs broadband deployment -- without Network Neutrality laws

The US Chamber of Commerce released two papers Monday arguing that broadband deployment should not be stifled by federal Network Neutrality regulation. The papers, the first in a series of five that will examine the impact of broadband on certain user groups and for certain purposes, argue that the federal government's current loose regulatory structure has enabled broadband to become a "life-altering tool" both for the general population and for senior citizens specifically. The lack of Net neutrality laws or other federally-mandated regulations has spurred telecommunications companies to heavily invest in broadband infrastructure, according to the first paper, "Network Effects: An Introduction to Broadband Technology & Regulation." The second paper, "The Impact of Broadband on Senior Citizens," recommends similar support for broadband deployment as well as educating seniors on the usefulness of broadband and expanding their options for getting online. If obstacles for adoption are removed, the paper says, broadband could transform senior life and senior care, just as the senior population is set to expand significantly. The chamber will later release papers examining the impact of broadband deployment on telemedicine, education, and people with disabilities.